Joseph's Guestbook

Hello Joe, it's been exactly 1 week ago today that I was being wheeled into the OR at Mayo Rochester for my Robotic Mitral repair. Unlike you, I had VERY severe leakage (60 cc's is considered severe and I was at 104). I had no symptoms but was told I had a barlows valve and if I waited too much longer, the damage would have been permanent and would be looking at a replacement instead of a repair. I was in the OR for 6 hours, about 90 minutes was the actual surgery. I was discharged 3 days later. Recovery is going smoothly. I'm still in some pain but wheened myself off of Oxycodone. I know exactly how you're feeling right now as I just went through it. I won't sugercoat this, it's a big surgery and you'll need time to recover, but the payoff in your overall health and lifespan are so worth it. Dr. Macarthy is a "rockstar" in this arena and you could't be in better hands. If I lived in IL, Northwestern Hospital is the only place I would go. I chose Mayo because I'm in Minneapolis. It's easy to say "don't worry" but that's not a realistic statement for OHS. Just remember this is routine for this team, and the VAST majority of patients come through this with flying colors. The fact that you're fit will help tremendously. I know this because I've been doing RKC Kettlebell for 8 years. I was doing heavy swings with a 30 K Bell the Saturday before my surgery. As a result, I feel that I'm a lot further along in my first week out than the average patient. I predict you'll have a similar outcome. Drop me a line if you ever want to chat. Others on this site helped me out right before surgery and I made a promise to pay it forward. We could chat by phone if you are interested in getting a first hand description of what you might expect. Ben Hyman Minneapolis MN